Sanya seaside scenery [Photo/VCG]

A tour group concept named "Thousand people visiting Hainan" has received a warm welcome from Macao residents.

The activity jointly organized by the Hainan Tropical Travel Service and Macao Worldwide Holidays will start in mid-June. According to Yun Peng, vice general manager of the international business department of Hainan Tropical Travel Service, the number of participants has far surpassed expectations. Each tour group was designed to accommodate 60 visitors. However, some groups have received as many as 106 applications. 

Relying on flights from Macao to Haikou thrice a week, visitors will spend four days and three nights in Hainan and feel the charm of the island province through its famous tourist attractions, local cuisine, culture and seaside scenery.

Guests taste Hainan cuisine offered by the "Hainan kitchen" at the 6th Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo. [Photo by Sha Xiaofeng/hinews.cn]

To consolidate the Hong Kong and Macao tourism markets, the "Hainan kitchen" created by the Hainan Commission of Tourism Development attended the 6th Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo from April 27 to 29 where it was the subject of a great deal of attention among travel agencies, companies and locals. 

The Hainan Commission of Tourism Development started to actively promote tourism in Macao early in 2015 after direct flights opened. The measures include participating in international travel expos, establishing a Hainan tourism product display and information consultant center with Macao travel agencies, organizing travel exchanges, and inviting Macao journalists to visit Hainan. As a result, Hainan received 18.2 percent more Macao tourists last year than it did the year before.

Yun said that the passenger load factor of the Macao-Haikou flight was only 25 percent in 2015. After years of promotion and publicity, the percentage has risen to about 68 percent. The new visa-free entry policy benefitting people in 59 countries is expected to further enhance Hainan's inbound tourism.

Overseas tourists receive a warm welcome while getting off a plane. [Photo by Wu Wei/Hainan Daily]